Notion keyboard shortcuts on a Mac
The Notion shortcuts that save the most time on a Mac are Command-P (⌘P) to search and jump to any page, the slash key to add any kind of block, and Markdown shortcuts such as # and [] that turn a line into a heading or a to-do as you type it. Add Command-[ and Command-] to go back and forward, and Command-B, Command-I and Command-K for bold, italic and links, and you can write a whole page without reaching for the trackpad.
What makes Notion different from most Mac apps is that much of its keyboard use is typing, not chords. You press / or # in the text itself and Notion changes the block. Below are the three kinds of shortcut, the ones worth learning first, and a few differences between the Notion app and Notion in a browser.
Get around: search, back and forward
These work anywhere in the Notion app.
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| ⌘P | Search, or jump to a recently viewed page |
| ⌘[ / ⌘] | Back and forward |
| ⇧⌘U | Go up to the parent page |
| ⌘N | New page |
| ⌘F | Find text on the current page |
| ⇧⌘L | Switch between light and dark mode |
Command-P is the one to make a habit. The search window opens with recent pages already listed, so the page you were on a minute ago is often one Return away. Type a few letters to search everything else.
Command-[ works like a browser’s Back button. When you follow a link into a subpage to check something, Command-[ takes you straight back to where you were writing.
A difference to know if you use Notion in Safari or Chrome rather than the app: the browser’s own shortcuts come first. Command-N opens a new browser window there, not a new Notion page, and some other keys belong to the browser too. If you switch between the app and a browser, lean on the slash menu and Markdown shortcuts below, which are typed rather than pressed as chords.
The slash menu: any block from the keyboard
Type / in a line and a menu of block types opens: headings, lists, to-dos, toggles, tables, callouts, code, images and the rest. Keep typing to narrow it down, then press Return to insert the one highlighted.
You rarely need the full name. A few letters is enough:
/todofor a to-do list/h2for a medium heading/calloutfor a callout box/codefor a code block/tablefor a table/togglefor a toggle list
Escape closes the menu, which is what you want when you meant to type a plain slash.
Slash commands can also act on the block you are in rather than adding a new one. Typing /turn offers to turn the current block into another type, and /color offers text and background colors. If you are not sure whether something exists, type / and a word for it and see what the menu shows.
Markdown shortcuts: format as you type
If you have written in Markdown anywhere else, most of it works in Notion. Type these at the start of an empty line:
| Type | You get |
|---|---|
# then space |
Heading 1 |
## then space |
Heading 2 |
### then space |
Heading 3 |
- or * then space |
Bulleted list |
1. then space |
Numbered list |
[] then space |
To-do checkbox |
> then space |
Toggle list |
" then space |
Quote |
--- |
Divider |
One of these trips up people who come from other Markdown editors: in Notion, > makes a toggle list, not a quote. Type " for a quote instead.
Inline Markdown works too: wrap text in **double asterisks** for bold, *single asterisks* for italic, or `backticks` for inline code, and Notion formats it as soon as you type the closing mark.
Type @ to mention a person, link a page, or add a date. It is the quickest way to link one page from another without leaving the keyboard.
Text and block keys
Inside a block, the familiar Mac text keys apply, plus a few that are Notion’s own:
- Command-B, Command-I and Command-U for bold, italic and underline. Shift-Command-S is strikethrough.
- Command-E formats the selected text as inline code.
- Command-K with text selected adds a link to it. Paste a URL or type a page name.
- Shift-Return starts a new line inside the same block, where Return would start a new block.
- Tab indents a block under the one above it, and Shift-Tab moves it back out. This is how you nest lists and put blocks inside a toggle.
Notion also treats whole blocks as things you can select. Press Escape while typing and the block you are in is selected instead of the text. From there, Command-D duplicates it and Command-/ opens a menu to change it, such as turning it into another type or changing its color.
If you prefer chords to the slash menu, Option-Command with a number turns the current block into a type: Option-Command-1, 2 and 3 for the three heading sizes, Option-Command-4 for a to-do, and Option-Command-0 back to plain text. They are quick once learned, but the slash menu is easier to remember, so start there.
Learn them on screen
Notion’s help center keeps the full list of its keyboard shortcuts, and it is worth a skim once. The harder part is remembering them while you work, when the list is in another window.
Typebar puts a keyboard on screen and lights each key as you press it. Hold a modifier, such as Command, for a moment and the keys relabel with what they do in the app in front, read from its menus. Notion keeps many of its shortcuts out of its menus, so Typebar includes a hand-made Notion pack to fill the gaps, and you can pin a sheet with a double tap. A sheet can also be exported as a PNG or PDF; if you would rather have one on paper, see make a printable cheat sheet of any Mac app’s shortcuts.
If you record Notion walkthroughs, Typebar’s keystroke pill helps viewers too. Typing gathers into one chip, so what you type reads as words rather than a row of separate keys, and shortcuts show as keycaps. Typebar is $9 once, free for 24 hours.
For the same approach in other apps, see Slack keyboard shortcuts on a Mac and Text editing shortcuts that work in almost every Mac app.
Questions
What is the search shortcut in Notion on a Mac?
Command-P opens search, with your recent pages listed first. Command-F finds text on the page you are on.
Is there a Notion shortcut for dark mode?
Shift-Command-L switches between light and dark mode.
Why does Command-N not make a new page?
You are probably using Notion in a browser, where Command-N opens a new browser window. In the Notion app, Command-N makes a new page.
How do I make a to-do with the keyboard in Notion?
Type [] and a space at the start of an empty line, or type /todo and press Return.